November 24, 2012

Computer glitches prevent some gun sales

Problems with the FBI's system impede some Black Friday sales in Maine.

The Associated Press

BREWER — Glitches in the government’s computers prevented some Black Friday gun sales in Maine.

The FBI told the Bangor Daily News that there were problems with its National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or NICS. High call volumes caused intermittent outages in the system.

Bangor-area gun dealers say those interruptions stopped gun sales. Rick Lozier of Van Raymond Outfitters in Brewer says the outages cost him at least half a dozen customers by the time Friday’s business day was only half over.

The FBI’s computerized system tells gun sellers whether a buyer is barred by federal law from possessing firearms. People who want to purchase guns must fill out and sign FBI paperwork first.

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